Working with our community for our waterways …...2011 Newsletter Page 3 Mistflower (or Mistweed)...
Transcript of Working with our community for our waterways …...2011 Newsletter Page 3 Mistflower (or Mistweed)...
Another year goes by and LBCCG has
been busy consolidating its position
as an on-ground project focussed
organisation.
Projects undertaken this year varied
greatly although the main priority of
the group remains engaging the larg-
er landholders in the Lake Baroon
catchment.
We remain, through our partnership
with Seqwater, able to offer gener-
ous funding assistance to projects
that deliver water quality benefits.
In 2010/11 LBCCG projects delivered
the following outputs:
1,415 metres of laneway hard-
ening (dairy & beef);
900 metres fencing;
1 new waterway crossings;
3 waterway crossings re-
habilitated;
1 off stream watering system;
sponsored Bunya Dreaming
6,620 trees planted;
10,000 m2 weed management.
2010-11
2011 Newsletter
Working with our community for our waterways
Inside this issue:
2010-11 1
Catchment Care—not
just planting trees 1
Cork Dairies Upper 2
Bridge Creek 2
Mistflower Biological 3
National Green Jobs
Corps 2010 3
Arley Creek Wetlands 4
Bridge Creek Landslip 4
Upper Obi Obi Creek 5
Other Projects 5
Dairy laneway hardening has been a priori-
ty for LBCCG over the last few years—
particularly with the recent wet summer.
In 2010/11, 1,415 metres of laneway was
rehabilitated, modified and hardened.
LBCCG is generously supported by Seqwater with
funding which allows us to implement large-scale
projects in the catchment, however being a
‘Landcare’ type group means we also apply for a
range of funding from local, state and federal
sources.
This year we received funding from the Common-
wealth Government through the Caring for Our
Country Community Action Grants program, Sun-
shine Coast Council Minor Grants and Conservation
Volunteers Australia through their National Green
Naturally a significant component of our activities
involve revegetation—usually to protect eroding
creek banks, watercourses and unstable hill slopes.
But we do more than plant trees as the output fig-
ures above show.
Water quality in the catchment can be improved by
working with primary producers to implement sus-
tainable activities—laneway hardening, off stream
watering infrastructure and installation of waterway
crossings to name a few. This is a win-win result for
us all.
Afterall, we all have the same aim—keep the soil
and nutrients on the paddocks where they belong.
Catchment Care– not just planting trees!
2011 NEWSLETTER Page 2
Cork Dairies is the largest dairy in
the Lake Baroon catchment and
sits in the headwaters of the Obi
Obi Creek.
The wet summer experienced
over 2010/11 hit the region’s
dairy farms hard, none more so
than the Cork Dairies operation.
Livestock laneways became virtu-
ally impassable, paddocks
suffered erosion, pasture growth
slowed, and mud and faeces on
the milking cows was heavy.
Livestock health was affected and
water quality in the catchment
deteriorated.
A laneway rehabilitation project
was quickly pulled together with
work commencing once the ex-
isting laneways had dried suffi-
ciently for heavy earthmoving
equipment to do their stuff.
Some laneways were moved to
better alignments, deeply rutted
laneways were reshaped to pro-
vide run-off and finally all lane-
ways were hardened using locally
sourced, coarse road-base which
is compacted.
Cork Dairies Upper Obi Obi Creek Laneway Rehabilitation
Cork Dairies laneway before and after hardening
Bridge Creek Rehabilitation
Bridge Creek Rehabilitation is a
whole property project designed
to address several environmental,
agricultural and water quality is-
sues in a single project. Initially
planned to be implemented over
4 years we are now well and truly
into the project.
Extensive revegetation on old
land slips and steep, low-value
grazing land was the main feature
of the project which also included
minor laneway hardening and
rehabilitation of waterway cross-
ings.
The project was performing very
well until the floods of January
2011—with fencing and tree
seedlings washed away.
Approximately 200 trees were
replanted (out of the original
1,300) although the fencing is
yet to be repaired due to access
difficulties.
Additionally an active landslip
on the property (and adjoining
neighbour) was rehabilitated
with extensive profiling, instal-
lation of drainage and revegeta-
tion. This site is a useful demon-
stration of one method (albeit
expensive) of land slip remedia-
tion.
Laneway hardening reduces ero-
sion and prevents the delivery of
sediments and nutrients to the
properties’ waterways and ulti-
mately Lake Baroon.
Additionally the rehabilitated
laneways improve stock move-
ment on the property with less
contamination of milk through
mud and faeces.
Community Action Grants re-
vegetation site & Green Jobs
Corps Erosion Field Day
2011 Newsletter Page 3
Mistflower (or Mistweed) is a
garden escapee that has invad-
ed riparian areas, bush margins
and pastures in the Blackall
Range hinterland.
Unlike most invasive plants,
mistflower has the ability to
spread into riparian areas in
pristine catchment headwaters
and negatively impact diversity
in ecologically important areas.
Biological control programs in
Hawaii and New Zealand have
successfully controlled
mistflower.
The LBCCG/CSIRO project
sought funding for CSIRO to
test the host specificity of smut
fungus (Entyloma ageratinae)
with the view to release the
Mistflower Biological Control agent if native plants and horti-
culture are not adversely im-
pacted.
Unfortunately (or fortunately?)
in December 2010 the smut
was found on several Maleny
plateau properties—it had
somehow been inadvertently
introduced into the country
and region.
So far the smut hasn’t ap-
peared to affect native plants
however CSIRO have modified
their role to monitoring the
spread and affects of the bio-
logical agent.
Although the effectiveness of
the smut fungus may vary ac-
cording to weather conditions
(it is suspected last summer
was ideal for its spread) it may
turn out to be a useful weapon
in the war against mistflower.
Healthy Mistflower and leaves affected by the smut fungus.
In 2010 LBCCG was fortunate to be able
to engage a National Green Jobs Corps
team through Conservation Volunteers
Australia.
The primary aim of the program was to
assist those landholders who would nor-
mally be ineligible for LBCCG funding
assistance.
Several Nature Refuges (Dilkusha, Bari-
ya, Manduka, Beechwood and Egerton)
received assistance as well as the Bunya
Dreaming site on the shores of Lake Ba-
roon and a land slip revegetation pro-
ject on Bridge Creek.
Thanks to the landholders who opened
their properties and supplied their
knowledge to provide local unemployed
youth with valuable skills and experienc-
es.
Green Jobs Corps 2010
Green Jobs Corps Team Leader Jono Bateman (right),
Dilkusha resident Fran Guard (left) and GJC partici-
pant Lydia Crawford (centre).
2011 NEWSLETTER Page 4
An ongoing project being imple-
mented over several years, Arley
Creek Wetlands is designed to
enhance the filtering and buffer-
ing capacity of wetlands and wa-
terways in the Obi Obi Catch-
ment, while improving farm
productivity by reducing nutrient,
sediment and chemical export.
Arley Creek Wetlands
Arley Creek during the
floods of early 2011 -
overtopping the dam
wall on the Stevens
property.
Bridge Creek Landslip Remediation
The project revegetated a land
slip in the Bridge Creek (Lake Ba-
roon) catchment. The site was
assessed by a geotechnical con-
sultant who recommended the
installation of sub-surface drains
and profiling of the site to create
a free draining surface, and re-
vegetation with native species to
provide long term stability.
The revegetation over time will
reinforce the soil profile, increas-
ing the sheer strength and reduce
susceptibility to erosion. Addi-
tionally a dense cover of native
vegetation will extract moisture
from the soil profile through
transpiration leading to lower
ground water pressure. Further-
more, the revegetation will ex-
tend existing corridor linkages
and habitat nodes.
The project was funded by the
landholders Rob McLauchlan,
and David Bull, Sunshine Coast
Council and LBCCG, with labour
support provided by CVA
(NGJC).
Revegetation planted in 2010.
The slip site before and after extensive profiling,
installation of sub-surface
drainage and revegetation.
The dam and Arley Creek have been fenced to
manage livestock grazing and minimise water-
way and dam bank erosion.
2011 Newsletter Page 5
The Farmhouse Macadamia
property has approximately
2,500 metres of frontage to Obi
Obi Creek – the main supplier of
water to Baroon Pocket Dam
and approximately 600 metre
frontage to King’s Lane Weir –
one of two water supplies for
urban Maleny. Although water
is now piped from the Landers
Shute water treatment plant to
Maleny, King’s Lane Weir is still
considered an integral part of
water supply.
Although there are few formal
requirements for macadamia
growers to establish vegetative
buffers between the orchards
and adjoin land, it is consid-
ered good practice to do so –
especially adjacent to environ-
mentally sensitive areas such
Upper Obi Obi Creek Restoration as remnant vegetation and wa-
terways.
The project extended the ripar-
ian buffer on Farmhouse Maca-
damias providing an effective
barrier between the Obi Obi
Creek and the agricultural
property.
An Obi Obi Creek tributary on
Farmhouse Macadamias was
revegetated to extend the agri-
cultural buffer.
Daley Creek Rehabilitation.
The project will minimise sedi-
ment and nutrient run-off from
the property by constructing a
new waterway crossing, reha-
bilitating three existing cross-
ings including approach hard-
ening, and the fencing on one
side of 180 metres of Daley’s
Creek. Furthermore, farm
productivity will be improved
by reducing nutrient; sediment
and chemical delivery to the
headwaters of Obi Obi Creek,
improve stock movement on
the property, and improve
grazing management.
Other Projects Bridge Creek
Rehabilitation (Watter).
This project is enhancing the
filtering and buffering capacity
of a degraded waterway in the
Bridge Creek catchment; re-
stricting livestock access to an
area of hill-slope erosion while
improving farm productivity
by reducing nutrient, sedi-
ment and chemical export.
Willow Creek Stormwater.
The project is continuing the
maintenance program of previ-
ous projects designed to re-
duce erosion and nutrient ex-
port from urban Maleny.
In time the sparse trees plant-
ed will provide shade suppress-
ing weeds and provide some
habitat value in an essentially
urban environment.
Phone: 07 5494 3775
Email: [email protected]
PO Box 567, Maleny, 4552
455 North Maleny Rd,
“Working with our community
for our waterways”
Supported by:
Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group is
a not-for-profit community group
working to improve the water quality
in the Lake Baroon catchment.
The group was formed in 1991 by the
Maleny community in response to on-
going water quality issues in the catch-
ment and Lake Baroon.
LBCCG includes representatives from a
wide range of interest groups, includ-
ing local councils, primary producers,
commerce and industry, the urban
community, conservation and tourism.
LBCCG funds activities that improve
water quality in the Lake Baroon
Catchment.
On-ground works also contribute to
the sustainability and manageability of
the property.
These include (but are not limited to):
Hardening of stock laneways &
dairy pads;
Waterway crossings;
Off stream watering;
Dairy effluent management;
Erosion management;
Property plans;
Waterway fencing;
Revegetation.
Larger properties are preferred, how-
ever smaller properties can improve
their chances of funding assistance by
working with their neighbours to cover
a larger area.
To apply for funding simply con-
tact us at LBCCG to arrange a site
visit.
The group is generously supported by
Seqwater and other funding bodies to
develop and implement on-ground
works that improve water quality.
Our objectives are to:
Promote integrated catchment
management in the Lake Baroon
catchment;
Raise awareness of water quali-
ty issues;
Fund on-ground works that im-
prove water quality.
Who is the LBCCG?
Can LBCCG help you?
LBCCG Website
The LBCCG website continues to be
developed and serves as a source of
useful information on our current
and past projects and general inter-
est news.
We are gradually expanding the site
further to include ,more useful ref-
erences—including a Photo
Gallery which features interesting catch-
ment pics—including the 2011 flooding.
If you have items or links you would like
included on the site contact the LBCCG
Coordinator.